One Month Today! October 20, 2008

Yea! I figured out how to upload photos to the blog! I have a lot of pictures I'd like to share of our experiences so far in Quito. Here we go.........!

The first picture is during our "Early Morning Good-bye" as Krystal and I leave for the airport (September 20th, 2008).

Here is one of the favorite viewpoints of Quito, "El Panecillo." "The Virgin of Quito" is made of aluminum and consists of 7,000 pieces, considered to be the largest aluminum statue in the world. Among other things, it shows the Virgin having overcome and holding the chains on the serpent as she raises her right hand. Interesting. The hill has also served religious purposes as a temple to revere the sun.





Here we are outside of the "San Francisco Cathedral." There are so very many elaborate, ostentaciously decorated and designed churches. I have read how it was the sign of power for a developing city to build as many churches as possible, as quickly as possible, to set itself up as a force to be reckoned with. To see the extensive gold facade and incredible attention to detail in these churches is heart-wrenching, especially when so many poor men, women and children hovel so close outside their doors--many having given nearly every penny they ever acquire to "their savior" and church. Oh, how my heart aches for this massive delusion. Hopefully, I am here to help...

Here are Krystal and Diego as the camera looks toward the altar inside the San Francisco Cathedral.

Here is Krystal and I on "Liberty Square"--dedicated on my birthday, August 10th.

I met two young men (19 years old) from Quebec, Canada, yesterday, named Vincent and Sebastien, that have just started (as of that morning) to travel, by foot and back packs, South America to see and experience the people and cultures. We kept running into each other in the park (where thousands of other people were out in social exchanges, playing, selling and buying, begging, etc.) until we decided that we must be "supposed" to meet and get to know each other. We ended up with them coming to the apartment and having watermelon with us and talking. They saw the slide show on the Worldwide United Foundation site and immediately resonated with it, both signing the declaration.

It turns out they are between college and university studies. One is going into teaching young children and music and wants to end up either in northern Quebec or Africa, working among the poor. The other wants to pursue organizational management and work (with his friend in some way) with a non-profit organization helping homeless children. They left, excited to spread the word of the Worldwide United Foundations' plan TO HELP EVERYONE as they travel throughout South America and meet people--and then back home with their groups of friends.

Another friend, Roy, called me yesterday after arriving home from a conference in Texas where he is pursuing building geodesic dome homes, which he wants to do for the poor as well as for places of healing. His best friend and boss is in Lima, Peru next week and may come up to meet me to see about starting building homes for the poor here in Ecuador. He had some excellent thoughts and has a great heart. It's amazing to see the synchronicities that are coming together with those of like mind and heart.

Beth called last night, excited, to share that she had just gotten off the phone with a dear friend from twenty years ago (when she was in Ecuador) who is a dentist and is also married to a dentist and now living in Las Vegas. She had not been in contact with her for a long time. She found out that her friend's oldest daughter, living here in Quito, had just had her first baby the day before and had been sent home from the hospital after having a C-section the next day. Could I visit her? With all my experiences giving birth and caring for babies and newborns as well as the desires of my heart, perhaps I can somehow help her. I will call her today and see what I can do. Her mother, Beth's friend, will be here in a week and a half and will take me to an orphanage that she used to have experience with.

Here is a scene from the street right near our apartment. It is very typical of the downtown area.

Krystal and I began last week to help at an orphanage "Hogar San Vicente de Paul" on Wednesdays. It is fun to see her "mimic" me as she helps them. We were mostly with the two-year-olds, so she was just older than them.

If you look closely at their playground, you will notice that every toy is broken and would probably be in a junkyard if it were in the U.S.

I have been told that this is probably one of the nicer orphanages in all of Ecuador.

I have desires to find and help at others, particularly one called the "Zambiza Dump" where children play while their parents find their day's food.

Here is Krystal, all ready for her first day of school. She is enjoying her preschool, "The Sunrise House" and will begin today to stay until four o'clock in the afternoon (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday)--hopefully this will help her more with socializing and integrating, and give me more concentrated time to do my "work." A few days before she began school, and just a couple days after we had found it and made arrangements, she began giggling in her sleep in the middle of the night. Still asleep, she said, "We're in Ecuador. I love Ecuador! I'm going to preschool in Ecuador!" At this point, she had woken herself and we hugged and giggled together. This was a very validating experience for me.

I am amazed at how well she has adjusted. Although there have been a few times that she has mentioned "I miss ______," she has been so accepting of this huge change in her life. Her teacher tells me that she is just barely now beginning to say a few words in spanish during school. Krystal tells me that she only talks by "nodding her head." I read her stories in both spanish and english and help prompt her from time-to-time as we are interacting with others. She is beginning to initiate "Como estas?" and "gracias" and "buenas noches." I'm sure her language attempts will continue to grow as she feels more solidly a part of the culture.

We have had a great time walking and watching and interacting (at least on our somewhat limited basis) with the people, food, language and culture. As I had packed mostly warmer-climate-clothes for myself (what I had mostly been wearing in Arizona), we have had to buy ourselves a few sweaters, slippers and warmer things while here (from the indigenous market). Although there are very hot, humid places in Ecuador (or so I've been told), Quito is definately NOT one of them. Yesterday I found some knitted gloves without the finger tips that I am now able to wear while working at the computer. Yea!!! My hands can stay warm now while I type!
The owners of the apartment I'm renting from agreed this weekend to getting a better shower water heater. Hopefully, soon, we will be able to take warm showers and baths again! Also, I have permission to have the curtain fixed and put up in the bedroom so that we can have some privacy.

This is Krystal with Luis, one of the native musicians who plays often at the city park we like to go to.

Here she is on one of the climbing/sliding toys.

A friend of Diego's, Carolina, took Krystal and I to an orphanage and an infirmary. She had been raised by a mother who felt it was important that she and her sisters develop a heart of compassion. Regularly they had gone to help at this orphanage. Later, her mother and a friend established an infirmary, a home for the sick elderly and dying. Although we weren't allowed into the rooms of the infirmary with Krystal, I will go back at a later time to see if I may be of help there.

These are just some of the "fortuitous" experiences I am having. It's amazing to see how people are coming into my life with similar hearts and desires. I am not seeking them out, things are just "flowing." It's fun to watch! It's almost like a grand puzzle putting itself together. Today marks the one-month mark that we have been here. Will we return home in December??? Will we come in contact with some kind of agency/organization and be able to gain a Visa for long-term staying? We'll see what puts itself together.

Keep smiling and giggling as you continue to "DUO" (do unto others as you would have others do unto you)!

Kimberly